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Healthy Diet

Promoting healthy eating habits and instilling the behavior young can have positive effects on the lifelong health of children. They can take these healthy patterns with them throughout life, instead of possibly needing to change negative patterns with food.

Important Concepts and Methodologies

Meal Decisions

Factoring in that some ages of children will not always have the ability to choose, but giving them a foundation of knowledge to choose better when it is available. In some scenarios this may be a project on healthier alternative to meals they order out frequently, comparing options from the same restaurant that they can substitute. This can also look like portion control lessons, and what foods are actually healthy for them and in what ways those food can benefit them.

Snacks

Snacks can have a huge impact on children's diet, especially when they get to the age when they are not as regulated by adults. In these early adolescents and teen years, it can be helpful for students to list their favorite go to snack and then go through the nutritional factors. Seeing these things firsthand may deter students from grabbing them from the shelf. Educating on healthier on the go options can give them easy substitutes. ​

Beverage Decisions

Beverages can hold a lot of bad ingredients and excessive calories unbeknownst to children. Caffeine, sugar and additives pile up in their beverages that they may not be aware of. Educating students and making aware of the better options. 

Shared Meals and Taking it Home

Shared meals are the most unpredictable aspect of a healthy diet education. These meals are prepared in the home or are in control of someone else. It is important to take into consideration food insecurity within the community and specific students. This is where you can try to reach home with the education. It can start as a simple weekly letter with updates of the class and a healthy and accessible recipe attached. You can also include if your school has a school food pantry program with healthy food options and ingredients available to the community, as well as opportunities within the community for healthy grocery access. 

Giving children and adolescents a healthy start through nutrition. Giving Children and Adolescents a Healthy Start Through Nutrition - News & Events. (n.d.). https://odphp.health.gov/news/202103/giving-children-and-adolescents-healthy-start-through-nutrition 

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